diff --git a/database/qdrant_client.go b/database/qdrant_client.go
index 3d2ab13..2ad691e 100644
--- a/database/qdrant_client.go
+++ b/database/qdrant_client.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context" // understand this and usage in file
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
@@ -12,7 +13,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
-var collectionName = os.Getenv("QDRANT_COLLECTION")
+var (
+	qdrantClientInstance *qdrant.Client
+	qdrantClientOnce     sync.Once
+	collectionName       = os.Getenv("QDRANT_COLLECTION")
+	qdrantHost           = os.Getenv("QDRANT_HOST")
+)
 
 type ScoredPoint struct {
 	Id      *qdrant.PointId          `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=id,proto3" json:"id,omitempty"` // Point id
@@ -32,35 +38,33 @@ type GetOutputJSON struct {
 	ModelResponse string  `json:"model_response"`
 }
 
-func InitializeQdrant() *qdrant.Client {
+func initializeQdrant() (*qdrant.Client, error) {
 	client, err := qdrant.NewClient(&qdrant.Config{
-		Host:   os.Getenv("QDRANT_HOST"),
+		Host:   qdrantHost,
 		Port:   6334,
 		UseTLS: false,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Get a context for a minute
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Minute)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	// Execute health check
 	healthCheckResult, err := client.HealthCheck(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal().Msgf("Could not get health: %v", err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	log.Printf("Qdrant version: %s", healthCheckResult.GetVersion())
+	log.Info().Msgf("Qdrant version: %s", healthCheckResult.GetVersion())
 
-	// check if collection exists
 	exists, err := client.CollectionExists(context.Background(), collectionName)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal().Msgf("Could not check if collection exists: %v", err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
+
 	if exists {
 		log.Info().Msgf("Collection %s exists", collectionName)
-		return client
+		return client, nil
 	}
 
 	err = client.CreateCollection(ctx, &qdrant.CreateCollection{
@@ -74,14 +78,28 @@ func InitializeQdrant() *qdrant.Client {
 			Type:      qdrant.QuantizationType_Int8,
 			AlwaysRam: qdrant.PtrOf(true),
 		}),
+		OptimizersConfig: &qdrant.OptimizersConfigDiff{
+			DefaultSegmentNumber: qdrant.PtrOf(uint64(16)), // used to minimize latency set to 2 to maximize throughput
+		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal().Msgf("Could not create collection: %v", err)
-	} else {
-		log.Info().Msgf("Collection %s created", collectionName)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return client
+	log.Info().Msgf("Collection %s created", collectionName)
+	return client, nil
+}
+
+// GetQdrantClient returns a singleton instance of the Qdrant client
+func GetQdrantClient() *qdrant.Client {
+	qdrantClientOnce.Do(func() {
+		var err error
+		qdrantClientInstance, err = initializeQdrant()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("Failed to initialize Qdrant client")
+		}
+	})
+	return qdrantClientInstance
 }
 
 func GetQdrant(client *qdrant.Client, vectors []float32) ([]GetOutputJSON, error) {
@@ -91,13 +109,16 @@ func GetQdrant(client *qdrant.Client, vectors []float32) ([]GetOutputJSON, error
 		Query:          qdrant.NewQueryDense(vectors),
 		WithPayload:    qdrant.NewWithPayloadInclude("model_response", "user_message"),
 		ScoreThreshold: qdrant.PtrOf(float32(0.7)), // TODO: make this configurable
+		Params: &qdrant.SearchParams{
+			Quantization: &qdrant.QuantizationSearchParams{
+				Rescore: qdrant.PtrOf(true), // remove if results are inaccruate
+			},
+		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal().Msgf("Could not search points: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	client.Close()
-
 	log.Info().Msg("Searched points")
 
 	var outputData []GetOutputJSON
@@ -141,7 +162,5 @@ func PutQdrant(client *qdrant.Client, vectors []float32, message string, modelRe
 	}
 	fmt.Println("Upsert", len(upsertPoints), "points")
 
-	client.Close()
-
 	return operationInfo
 }
diff --git a/handlers/handlers.go b/handlers/handlers.go
index 3250335..bf3355a 100644
--- a/handlers/handlers.go
+++ b/handlers/handlers.go
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ type PutResponseBody struct {
 
 func HandleGetRequest(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 	c.Accepts("text/plain", "application/json")
-	c.Accepts("json", "text")
 
 	log.Info().Msg("Handling GET request")
 	// Parse the JSON body using Sonic
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ func HandleGetRequest(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 
 	// query qdrant for response
 	// initialize databases
-	qdrantClient := database.InitializeQdrant()
+	qdrantClient := database.GetQdrantClient()
 
 	log.Info().Msg("Initialized Qdrant client")
 
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ func HandlePutRequest(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 
 	// query qdrant for response
 	// initialize databases
-	qdrantClient := database.InitializeQdrant()
+	qdrantClient := database.GetQdrantClient()
 
 	log.Info().Msg("Initialized Qdrant client")